Automobile-signal.



1. c. L L. F. SIMPSON.

AUTOMOBILEv SIGNAL. i APPLICATION FILED IUNE 10. I9I4.

Pamed Dec. 4, MII?.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

V ,Mwwefg I. C. I L. F. SIMPSON. AUTOMOBILE SIGNAL.

APPLICATION FILED IuIIE Io. IQII.

Pwtnted Dem 4, wl?.

l. C. @L L. F. SIMPSON.

AUTOMOBILE SIGNAL. v APPLlcMvloN FILED lune lo. |914.

Pimentel@ Dec., 4, 1917.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

erases and Jenn' ostfriesen ann tenis fr. snurson, or roumanie, onneon, nssicfnons, er

"non .ann rensnn assienivnnrs-ro ron'rnenn earner' src-ns1. CoifrrnnrY, l

or incarnatie, cannon.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that we, JOHN C. SIMPsoN and LotusI F. SIMPSON, citizens of the United States, residing at Portland, in the county or' `ll/lultnomah and State ot Oregon, have invented certain new and useful lmprovements in Automobile-Signals, of which the'tollowing is -a specication.

suddenly.'

This invention' relates 'to improvements in anton... signals and indicators and has :tor its object to provide signals adapted to automatically warn automobile drivers of any change being made in is attached Another object is toprovide signals vfor warnin autoists at the rear oi:

a car of any intention to slowdown or stop taken on the line A-A AinFig. l, with the 1 direction-signal in neutral or straight-ahead revoluble direction-signal disk,

position.

Fig. 3 is a sectional top` plan view through the' center off the stop signal mechanism,

taken on EMB in Fig. l.`

Fig. i shows Ia sectional top planl View through the direction-signal openings and tail-light lens and taken on of Fig. Il. v

Fig. 5 is a detail iront elevation of the showing the method oi' attaching the 'frosted-glass indicator'. x

Fig. G is a sectional side elevation of the upper portion of the case and mechanism takenfon ltr-A ci Fig. 1 and showing the stop-signal opening closet.

Fig. 7 is a .detail rear elevation of the turning arms'fshown in Fig. 2 vfor turning the direction-signal disk.

:FigB shows a vmodification of the turn'- ing arms shown in Fig. 7 and comprises a sheave adapted to the same purpose.

9 is a side elevation of an autom@ bile steering-gear and tootdorake lever with the direction ot 4travel `of the car ahead to which they device by means of the limiting its AU'roiuoBiLn-srcnnt.

Specification of Lettersatent.

e 2 l Application filed June limlft. Serial No. 844,170.

cables attached oroperating the stop and direction signals.

Fig. 10 is a detail end elevation of the steering post with operating arms attached.

Fig. 1l shows a view similar to that shown in Fig. l0, but modified by' the addition of compensating springs. v

Fig. l2 shows another modilication oi" operating means comprisinga sprocket-wheel y and chain to take the place 'of the arms and cables 'shown in the two last previous views.

Fig. 13 is a plan View of the compensating l disks shown in Fig. 9, and used to secure quick actuation of the signals upon slight rotation of the steering wheel while allowing at the same time, proper compensation for the increased tension upon the cables after the signal isset. l

Referring to the drawings, 1 indicates a rectangular box-shaped case provided with a cover 2 which may be attached as by screws and in turn may be provided with any suitable form of brackets 3 for attachmenttothe rear end of an automobile.l p

Near the top of the case and extending' horizontally across the front thereof, is pro-` vided an opening 4t, the upper and lower edge of the case adjoining the opening'be ing bent in, edge. cator carrier having end. members 7 rigidly attached to and pivotally4 mounted in the v case at 8 and so disposed as to extend axially across the case the full lwidth of the opening ing is provided in said indicator carrier at 9, and is covered by an indicator. glass 10. upon which the word Stop or any other suitable warning is painted.' 'llhe glass 10 is held in place bystrips 11 whichy may be attached as by screws. lt'is obvious that by rotation of the indicator carrier, the vopening @L may be closed or may be covered by the glass l() with its warning as described.

At l2 is provided a limit pin 'which is" attached to the side wall of-Ithe case" so asA to be engageable by the side members 7 o':l the indicator :carrier for the purpose of downward movement. A sprin 13 is carried bythe case at Mend. attache to the indicator 6, so as to hold it against the limit pin position. ln order torrevolve the indica-trui as at 5, to give strength yto the i' 6 indicates a semi-cylindrical indiy icm' 4:l2 in non-indicatiugj'tittl "carrier into signaling position-,fa small wire- .5 the forward. end of theautomobile -where it ispreferably attached tothe foot-brake l lever 18- as shown in Fig. 9, this view being Itis evident-nowthat'any forward move- 4ment of the foot brake leverforthe purpose of applyin lthe brakes to stop the' cani-will automatica ly operate the' stop signalin-y dicat'or towar'nfanyone 'at therear ofthecar., In referring to the signal-case and its'y Amechanismfthe part carryin'gtlle indicator display opening is-termed the ront, `wl1ile yreference to. the 'front regard't the's'teeii ing gear and brakeflever'refers to thefront of thecar. '20

-' lbent-in langesv21.l ,Within the case a bearf'- ing bracket 22 lis, sojdisposed and attached'asvdicator -openingf 2 8. 'A white, frosted glass 29";is'heldover the opening 28 by two corner cl-ipsBQanda'top clip 31, which are attached vto the-disk'26 `by means of solder or `screws as desired. z

Anelectric-light globe 32 is carried by'a electric-,current supply source in the usualmanner assing through a bushingin the cover oi'ft e case as shown in Fig. 2.-

' I otation of the disk 26 is secured throughthe medium of a pair of'. turning arms 36 extending radiallyandin opposite directions v* from .a' hub 37 which is rigidly 'mounted' upon shaft-24., 'The disk is limited inits "rotary movement by means of two limi l pins 38 attached to the front ofl the diskand adapted to engage afstopflug 39 attached to theinside of the frontof case 1. The Vpins f `and lug-are so-'dispcsed as to stopthe disk 26 when'zits opening 28 fis' iiiA coaxialY aline 4'ment with vopening 19 twhen turned to the .'lefii1 r'v with opening'20 when vturned to the The 'front of-.fthe'ca'se 1 is preferably painted blacka's lwellv as the front of disk x- 26,5thus1 resenting a dark'and practically "unnoticeable surface -to lView except when the-White ground glass 29 appears before' olieortho other'of the said openings 19 or 20. I-,11Referr1ng again to the turning arms 36,

liitiwill be seen by comparing Figs. 7 and 8 Two direcizioneindic ati ngi. v in case 1 areprovided --at119fand 2 0 with annular- ,to lhol'd'itsjbearings 23 centrally between .and with-their axes in the. same horizontal vplarlef with the 'axes-fof openings' 1 '9'and 20. A cen- T ter-shaftl24 isrevolubly mounted inthebeal-,

ings-23 and-'carries vaspider 25 upon whichj .;y a disk 26 isv rigidlymounted and adapted to. B0. rotate Withthe'shaft 24. The disk 26 is pro l'-'vid'ec'l 'with a'centeropening 27, and an;.'in-

vent them fromislppns 0.

that-a sheave, vas at. 40. inl Fig. 8, may be 'V futilized in placeiof said arms. .'The turning armsare controlled bythe ends of a iexible wire cable 41 which vis' led towardthe front end oftheautomobe.through va guide tube'- 42 and passes around a sheave 43 pivotally" any convenient portion ofthe car, and is preferably located about midway betweenj the signalcase and the .lower end of the steerm'g post, as indicated in Fig. 9. Above pensating disk`45 isl pivotally mounted upon carried by a pin 44, which may be attached .reversed `for convenience of arrangement. to

the' pi'n`44 and provided within-gs `46 to, :which v.the ends off tension springs 47 are fattaclied, 'as shown in F ig. 13. -The' oppov.siteends of springs -47 are attached to' a'f p 4 8 carried by the sheave 43 sothat--rota'y. movement of the disk 45 will-'tend to yieldngly revolve the sheave 43- and conse-l .quently rotatelthe indicatingdisk 26 until y it has reached its limit. in 'the directioninf- .which it .is rotated, v tv 'hereuponl 4the springs 4 7 will :mcommodate any further rotation,v of the' disk 45 within the lilhit of elasticity- 'sti of .thesprin'g-in tension. .Thedisk`45'ispref erably provlded with a peripheral roove 49 ,forfthe reception of-tires rings 4 to pref eFig.' 9-.is shown.- one of., the various ing 52. .1'.

jpost 51gv which is integralv witha 'hub 54, which is' mounted rigidly Lupon the lower l extension of the,"

steering post 4511 and'. connected by. two iiexi`4 ble wire'ables 56' Withthe lugs 46 'of the disk 45, after passingthrough guide tubes 55.'

To take up any slackfin t e cables56, springs may be interposed v'between their ends and the o eratlngarms 53 as shown at'57 in Fig.'

duced in the vstructure just Idescribed as .for

with sprocket chain (S0-could beusedin place of the arms 53, or, again, thecompensating upon the lower end of the steering post A51,

the sheave being pivotally mounted inthe same relation 4tos'ald compensating disl; as

previously described.

' It is obvious'no'w that by' v'making'- sheave 43 'the-proper diameter,- a slight rotary movementof the steering post vwill tend tov operate the indicating disk quickly, .the f compensating mecla`ni'sm permitting the4 steering ost tol-'continue to revolve as farv 12s as desire softhat ythe direction signal a't'tliev rearofthe ca r will be automatically setas soon as th steering wheel is slightly` rotated from neut al' or vs t'ra'ight-aheadposlti'on.

. Return' to the description of the casing to one anlasser case, at 61 is shown an opening provided in the front of the case 1 coaxial vvithzthe opening 2'? in disk 26 and covered by a red lens 62 heldin place by a retaining ring 63.

license number-plate 6a is shown attached to the front of the case l along its lower edge and a longitudinal opening through the case l is provided at 65. A. reflector d6 `is attached to the case above the opening 65 to rei-lect the lightJ from within onto the license number at night.

As arranged and described, the stop-signal direction indicator, license' number and red-taillight may all be illuminated' by means et the one lamp at 32, although anyl desired number oit lamps may be supplied where most effective.

The device as Will be noted, is adapted to both day and night use and is so connected With the steering mechanism as to display a vlhite spot in the day time and a vvhite light at night at the left of the red-lens when turning to the lett and at the right of the lens when turning to the right.

l. A signaling device for motor vehicles comprising casing having a lens opening and tivo direction-indicating openings at opposite sides thereof, a revoluble member mounted Within said casing and adapted to leave uncovered said lens opening and to no mally cover said direction-indieating openings, said revoluble member having an indica opening adapted to be moved as said r vofiuble menibcr is revolved insaid the other of said direction-- indicating ope '.ngs, desired., a light Within said casing, and means operated automatically upon the turning or' the vehicle for moving said revolublemembnr to indi 4cate the direction of turning.

A' signaling `device 4for motor 'vehicles comprising a casing having a lens opening and tivo direction-indicating openings at opposite sides thereof, a revoluble member mounted. Within said casing and adapted to leave uncovered saidl lens opening and to normally cover said direction-indicating openings, said revoluble niemeer having transA arent indicating means adapted to be mov ed as said revoluble member is revolved in said casin1 into register with one or the other ci said directioni]idicatin openings, as desiredl light Within said casing, and means operated automatically upon the turning oi thevehicle to indicate the direction r warning.

3. dimotion-indicating device auto mobiles and the like comprising a said autlznnobilc and provided withA opening and tivo direction indicating openings at, opposite sides tl .ien said lens openm a ada @ted to he mounted upon the rear end ing adapted to be moved into register with one or the other of the direction-indicating openings in said casing, a lamp'wi'thin said casing and operating connections from said disli for automatically revolving the same upon the turning of the vehicle to bring its direction-indicating opening intoregister with one or the other of the direction-indi eating openings in said casing.

el. An automobile signaling device comprising a casing having a lens opening With a lens therein, and two directioli-indicating openings at opposite sides thereof, a revoluhle member mounted within said casing and normally covering said direction-indicating openings, said revoluble member being provided With a direction-indicating opening set in from the edge of said member and of substantially the same shape as the openings in the casing and adapted to be moved into register With one or the other of ,the direction-indicating openings in said casing, operating connections from said rev* oluble member for moving said member autmatically upon turning the vehicle, and source of light Within said casing, substantially as described.

An automobile signaling device comprising a casing having a lens-covered opening therein, and two direction-indicating openings. at opposite sides thereof, a stop signal opening in a different horizontal plane from said lens opening, a revoluble member mounted Within said casing and normally covering said direction-indicating openings, said revoluble member-being provided with a direction-imitating opening pted to be moved automatically into register with one or the otherof the directionindicating openings in said casing upon the turning oil,i the vehicle, a stop signal member vv'ithingsaid casing adapted to be moved into said stop signal opening automatically when the vehicle is stopped, operating connections tor said. direction and Astop signal members, and a source of light Within the casing for simultaneously illuminating said members. v A

G. An automobile ,signaling device comprising a casing havingba lenscovered opening therein, and two direction-indicating openings at opposite sides thereof, a stop A signal yopening in a di'crent horizontal plane trom said lens opening, a revoluble member mounted Within said casing and normally coveringsaid directidn-indicating openings, said revoluble member being proed with a direction-indicating opening adapted to he moved automatically into with one of the other of the direc .the turning of the Vehiele; a .stoprsignel 5. stop signal opening, Connectionsfor operai:-

In testimony whereof, We affix our signafrnember Within saidnasing, means operatedtures in presence of two Witnesses. when thebreke is applied for. automatkicellyA moving the stop sigr 1a1 .membervv into said.' JOHN O. SIMPSON.- y `LOUIS F. SIMPSON.

Witnesses:

E. EARL FEIKE, vALBERT J MATTER. 

